# 217th New Jersey Legislature

The 217th New Jersey Legislature began on January 12, 2016 and ended on January 9, 2018, in the last two years of the Governorship of Chris Christie.

## Background

The elections for the Assembly were held on November 3, 2015, while elections for the Senate, and Assembly were held on November 5, 2013 alongside the 2013 New Jersey gubernatorial election. In the 2015 Assembly elections Democrats gained four seats in the assembly giving them over 50 seats in the Assembly. The incumbents that lost re-election were Sam Fiocchi, Mary Pat Angelini, Caroline Casagrande, and Donna Simon.

## Party composition
### Assembly

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members |
| | Democratic Party | 52 |
| | Republican Party | 28 |
| Total | Total | 80 |

### Senate

| Affiliation | Affiliation | Members |
| | Democratic Party | 24 |
| | Republican Party | 16 |
| Total | Total | 40 |

## Leadership
### Senate

| Position | Name | District |
| President of the Senate | Stephen M. Sweeney | District 3 |
| Majority Leader | Loretta Weinberg | District 37 |
| President pro tempore | Nia Gill Paul Sarlo | District 34 District 36 |
| Assistant Majority Leaders | James Beach Linda R. Greenstein Teresa Ruiz | District 6 District 14 District 29 |
| Majority Conference Leader | Robert M. Gordon | District 38 |
| Majority Whip | Sandra Bolden Cunningham | District 31 |
| Minority Leader | Thomas Kean, Jr. | District 21 |
| Deputy Minority Leader | Diane Allen | District 7 |
| Minority Conference Leader | Robert Singer | District 30 |
| Deputy Minority Conference Leader | Jennifer Beck | District 11 |
| Assistant Republican Leader | Joseph Pennacchio | District 26 |
| Republican Budget Officer | Anthony Bucco | District 25 |

### Assembly

Speaker: Vincent Prieto
Majority Leader: Louis Greenwald
Minority Leader: Jon Bramnick

## Members
### Senate

The Senate has 40 members, one for each district.
| District | Name | Party | Residence | First served |
| District 1 | Jeff Van Drew | Dem | Dennis Township | 2008 |
| District 2 | Colin Bell | Dem | Margate City | 2017† |
| District 3 | Stephen M. Sweeney | Dem | West Deptford Township | 2002 |
| District 4 | Fred H. Madden | Dem | Washington Township (Gloucester) | 2004 |
| District 5 | Nilsa Cruz-Perez | Dem | Camden | 2014† |
| District 6 | James Beach | Dem | Voorhees Township | 2009† |
| District 7 | Diane Allen | Rep | Edgewater Park | 1998 |
| District 8 | Dawn Marie Addiego | Rep | Evesham Township | 2010† |
| District 9 | Christopher J. Connors | Rep | Lacey Township | 2008 |
| District 10 | James W. Holzapfel | Rep | Toms River | 2012 |
| District 11 | Jennifer Beck | Rep | Red Bank | 2008 |
| District 12 | Samuel D. Thompson | Rep | Old Bridge Township | 2012 |
| District 13 | Joe Kyrillos | Rep | Middletown Township | 1992 |
| District 14 | Linda R. Greenstein | Dem | Plainsboro Township | 2010 |
| District 15 | Shirley Turner | Dem | Lawrence Township (Mercer) | 1998 |
| District 16 | Christopher Bateman | Rep | Branchburg Township | 2008 |
| District 17 | Bob Smith | Dem | Piscataway | 2002 |
| District 18 | Patrick J. Diegnan | Dem | South Plainfield | 2016† |
| District 19 | Joseph Vitale | Dem | Woodbridge Township | 1998 |
| District 20 | Raymond Lesniak | Dem | Elizabeth | 1983 |
| District 21 | Thomas Kean, Jr. | Rep | Westfield | 2003† |
| District 22 | Nicholas Scutari | Dem | Linden | 2004 |
| District 23 | Michael J. Doherty | Rep | Washington Township (Warren) | 2009 |
| District 24 | Steve Oroho | Rep | Franklin | 2008 |
| District 25 | Anthony Bucco | Rep | Boonton Township | 1998 |
| District 26 | Joseph Pennacchio | Rep | Montville | 2008 |
| District 27 | Richard Codey | Dem | Roseland | 1982 |
| District 28 | Ronald Rice | Dem | Newark | 1986 |
| District 29 | Teresa Ruiz | Dem | Newark | 2008 |
| District 30 | Robert Singer | Rep | Lakewood Township | 1993† |
| District 31 | Sandra Bolden Cunningham | Dem | Jersey City | 2007† |
| District 32 | Nicholas Sacco | Dem | North Bergen | 1994 |
| District 33 | Brian P. Stack | Dem | Union City | 2008 |
| District 34 | Nia Gill | Dem | Montclair | 2002 |
| District 35 | Nellie Pou | Dem | North Haledon | 2012 |
| District 36 | Paul Sarlo | Dem | Wood-Ridge | 2003† |
| District 37 | Loretta Weinberg | Dem | Teaneck | 2005† |
| District 38 | Robert M. Gordon | Dem | Fair Lawn | 2008 |
| District 39 | Gerald Cardinale | Rep | Demarest | 1982 |
| District 40 | Kristin Corrado | Rep | Totowa | 2017† |
† First appointed to the seat

#### Former members from this term

| District | Name | Party | Residence | First served | Term end | Cause |
| 18th | Peter J. Barnes III | Dem | Edison | 2014 | April 25, 2016 | Appointed as a judge to the New Jersey Superior Court |
| 40th | Kevin J. O'Toole | Rep | Cedar Grove | 2008$^1$ | July 1, 2017 | Appointed to the Board of Commissioners of The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey |
| 2nd | Jim Whelan | Dem | Atlantic City | 2008 | August 22, 2017 | Death (heart attack) |
$^1$ O'Toole had previously served in the Senate from 2001 to 2002

#### Committees and Committee Chairs, 2016-2017 Legislative Session

Committee chairs are: (All are Democrats)
| Committee | Name |
| Budget and Appropriations | Paul Sarlo |
| Commerce | Nia Gill |
| Community and Urban Affairs | Jeff Van Drew |
| Economic Growth | Raymond Lesniak |
| Education | Teresa Ruiz |
| Environment and Energy | Bob Smith |
| Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens | Joseph Vitale |
| Higher Education | Sandra Bolden Cunningham |
| Judiciary | Nicholas Scutari |
| Labor | Fred H. Madden |
| Law and Public Safety | Linda R. Greenstein |
| Legislative Oversight | Robert M. Gordon |
| Military and Veterans' Affairs | James Beach |
| State Government, Wagering, Tourism & Historic Preservation | Jim Whelan |
| Transportation | Nicholas Sacco |

### Assembly

The Assembly has 80 members, two for each district.
| District | Name | Party | Residence | First served |
| District 1 | Bob Andrzejczak | Dem | Middle Township | 2013 |
| District 1 | R. Bruce Land | Dem | Vineland | 2016 |
| District 2 | Chris A. Brown | Rep | Ventnor City | 2012 |
| District 2 | Vince Mazzeo | Dem | Northfield | 2014 |
| District 3 | John J. Burzichelli | Dem | Paulsboro | 2002 |
| District 3 | Adam Taliaferro | Dem | Woolwich Township | 2015 |
| District 4 | Paul Moriarty | Dem | Washington Township (Gloucester) | 2006 |
| District 4 | Gabriela Mosquera | Dem | Gloucester Township | 2012 |
| District 5 | Arthur Barclay | Dem | Camden | 2016 |
| District 5 | Patricia Egan Jones | Dem | Barrington | 2015 |
| District 6 | Louis Greenwald | Dem | Voorhees Township | 1996 |
| District 6 | Pamela Rosen Lampitt | Dem | Cherry Hill | 2006 |
| District 7 | Herb Conaway | Dem | Delanco Township | 1998 |
| District 7 | Troy Singleton | Dem | Palmyra | 2011 |
| District 8 | Joe Howarth | Rep | Evesham Township | 2016 |
| District 8 | Maria Rodriguez-Gregg | Rep | Evesham Township | 2014 |
| District 9 | DiAnne Gove | Rep | Long Beach Township | 2009 |
| District 9 | Brian E. Rumpf | Rep | Little Egg Harbor | 2003 |
| District 10 | Gregory P. McGuckin | Rep | Toms River | 2012 |
| District 10 | David W. Wolfe | Rep | Brick Township | 1992 |
| District 11 | Joann Downey | Dem | Freehold Township | 2016 |
| District 11 | Eric Houghtaling | Dem | Neptune Township | 2016 |
| District 12 | Robert D. Clifton | Rep | Matawan | 2012 |
| District 12 | Ronald S. Dancer | Rep | Plumsted Township | 2002 |
| District 13 | Amy Handlin | Rep | Middletown Township | 2006 |
| District 13 | Declan O'Scanlon | Rep | Little Silver | 2008 |
| District 14 | Daniel R. Benson | Dem | Hamilton Township (Mercer) | 2011 |
| District 14 | Wayne DeAngelo | Dem | Hamilton Township | 2008 |
| District 15 | Reed Gusciora | Dem | Trenton | 1996 |
| District 15 | Elizabeth Maher Muoio | Dem | Pennington | 2015 |
| District 16 | Jack Ciattarelli | Rep | Hillsborough Township | 2011 |
| District 16 | Andrew Zwicker | Dem | South Brunswick | 2016 |
| District 17 | Joseph Danielsen | Dem | Franklin Township (Somerset) | 2014 |
| District 17 | Joseph V. Egan | Dem | New Brunswick | 2002 |
| District 18 | Robert Karabinchak | Dem | Edison | 2016 |
| District 18 | Nancy Pinkin | Dem | East Brunswick | 2014 |
| District 19 | Craig Coughlin | Dem | Woodbridge Township | 2010 |
| District 19 | John S. Wisniewski | Dem | Sayreville | 1996 |
| District 20 | Jamel C. Holley | Dem | Roselle | 2015 |
| District 20 | Annette Quijano | Dem | Elizabeth | 2008 |
| District 21 | Jon Bramnick | Rep | Westfield | 2003 |
| District 21 | Nancy Munoz | Rep | Summit | 2009 |
| District 22 | Jerry Green | Dem | Plainfield | 1992 |
| District 22 | James J. Kennedy | Dem | Rahway | 2016 |
| District 23 | John DiMaio | Rep | Hackettstown | 2009 |
| District 23 | Erik Peterson | Rep | Franklin Township (Hunterdon) | 2009 |
| District 24 | Parker Space | Rep | Wantage Township | 2013 |
| District 24 | Gail Phoebus | Rep | Andover Township | 2015 |
| District 25 | Tony Bucco | Rep | Boonton Township | 2010 |
| District 25 | Michael Patrick Carroll | Rep | Morris Township | 1996 |
| District 26 | BettyLou DeCroce | Rep | Parsippany-Troy Hills | 2012 |
| District 26 | Jay Webber | Rep | Morris Plains | 2008 |
| District 27 | Mila Jasey | Dem | South Orange | 2007 |
| District 27 | John F. McKeon | Dem | West Orange | 2002 |
| District 28 | Ralph R. Caputo | Dem | Bloomfield | 2008 |
| District 28 | Cleopatra Tucker | Dem | Newark | 2008 |
| District 29 | Eliana Pintor Marin | Dem | Newark | 2013 |
| District 29 | Blonnie R. Watson | Dem | Newark | 2016 |
| District 30 | Sean T. Kean | Rep | Wall Township | 2012 |
| District 30 | Ned Thomson | Rep | Wall Township | 2017 |
| District 31 | Nicholas Chiaravalloti | Dem | Bayonne | 2016 |
| District 31 | Angela V. McKnight | Dem | Jersey City | 2016 |
| District 32 | Angelica M. Jimenez | Dem | West New York | 2012 |
| District 32 | Vincent Prieto | Dem | Secaucus | 2004 |
| District 33 | Annette Chaparro | Dem | Hoboken | 2016 |
| District 33 | Raj Mukherji | Dem | Jersey City | 2014 |
| District 34 | Thomas P. Giblin | Dem | Montclair | 2006 |
| District 34 | Sheila Y. Oliver | Dem | East Orange | 2004 |
| District 35 | Shavonda E. Sumter | Dem | Paterson | 2012 |
| District 35 | Benjie Wimberly | Dem | Paterson | 2012 |
| District 36 | Marlene Caride | Dem | Ridgefield | 2012 |
| District 36 | Gary Schaer | Dem | Passaic | 2006 |
| District 37 | Valerie Huttle | Dem | Englewood | 2006 |
| District 37 | Gordon M. Johnson | Dem | Englewood | 2002 |
| District 38 | Tim Eustace | Dem | Maywood | 2012 |
| District 38 | Joseph Lagana | Dem | Paramus | 2014 |
| District 39 | Holly Schepisi | Rep | River Vale | 2012 |
| District 39 | Robert Auth | Rep | Old Tappan | 2010 |
| District 40 | David C. Russo | Rep | Ridgewood | 1990 |
| District 40 | Kevin J. Rooney | Rep | Wyckoff | 2016 |

#### Former members from this term

| District | Name | Party | Residence | First served | Left office | Cause |
| 18th | Patrick J. Diegnan | Dem | South Plainfield | 2002 | May 9, 2016 | Appointed to the District's Senate seat |
| 29th | L. Grace Spencer | Dem | Newark | 2008 | June 30, 2016 | Appointed as a judge to the New Jersey Superior Court |
| 40th | Scott Rumana | Rep | Wayne | 2008 | October 20, 2016 | Appointed as a judge to the New Jersey Superior Court |
| 30th | Dave Rible | Rep | Wall Township | 2008 | July 17, 2017 | Appointed Director of the New Jersey Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control |

## Vacancies
### Senate

| District | Original | Party | Period of vacancy | Appointee | Party of Appointee |
| 18th | Peter J. Barnes III | Democratic Party | April 25, 2016 – May 9, 2016 | Patrick J. Diegnan | Democratic Party |
| 40th | Kevin J. O'Toole | Republican Party | July 1, 2017 – October 5, 2017 | Kristin Corrado | Republican Party |
| 2nd | Jim Whelan | Democratic Party | August 22, 2017 – October 5, 2017 | Colin Bell | Democratic Party |

### Assembly

| District | Original | Party | Period of vacancy | Appointee | Party of Appointee |
| 18th | Patrick J. Diegnan | Democratic Party | May 9, 2016 – May 26, 2016 | Robert Karabinchak | Democratic Party |
| 29th | L. Grace Spencer | Democratic Party | June 30, 2016 – July 21, 2016 | Blonnie R. Watson | Democratic Party |
| 40th | Scott Rumana | Republican Party | October 20, 2016-??? | Kevin J. Rooney | Republican Party |
| 30th | Dave Rible | Republican Party | July 17, 2017 – August 24, 2017 | Ned Thomson | Republican Party |